Swarthmore vs. Olin College

Should I go to Swarthmore College or Olin College of Engineering? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Swarthmore or Olin College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Swarthmore College vs. Olin College of Engineering comparison
Swarthmore College Olin College of Engineering College 3 College 4
Swarthmore College Olin College of Engineering
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Overview

Swarthmore Olin College
Location Swarthmore, PA Needham, MA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,625 386
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #40
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website swarthmore.edu olin.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Swarthmore Olin College
Tuition (In State) $58,928 $57,280
Tuition (Out of State) $58,928 $57,280
Room & Board $18,026 $18,524
Avg Net Price $20,715 $38,502
Avg Grant Aid $47,703 $40,522
% Receiving Grant Aid 63% 100%

Admission

Swarthmore Olin College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,707 862
Admitted 1,019 165
Acceptance Rate 6.9% 19.1%
Enrolled % 42.5% 45.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 32/35 35/35
SAT Range 1440/1560 1490/1560
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 4, 2025 Jan 1, 2025

Academics

Swarthmore Olin College
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (29%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Engineering (100%)

Outcomes

Swarthmore Olin College
Graduation Rate 95% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 87% -
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $14,710
Median Loan Payment $201 $152

Diversity

Swarthmore Olin College
% Men 49% 50%
% Women 51% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 42% 53%
% Black 6% 0%
% Hispanic 13% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 8% 7%
% International 11% 8%
% Unknown Race 3% 11%

Students

Swarthmore Olin College
% In-State 10% 12%
% Out-of-State 75% 79%

Campus

Swarthmore Olin College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Swarthmore College is larger than than Olin College based on total student enrollment (1,625 students vs. 386 students)

Swarthmore vs. Olin College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Swarthmore or Olin College?

  • Swarthmore College is 2.9% more expensive to attend than Olin College for in-state tuition ($58,928.00 vs. $57,280.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.9% higher at Swarthmore than Olin College of Engineering ($58,928.00 vs. $57,280.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Swarthmore College than Olin College ($20,715 vs. $38,502)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Swarthmore College are 2.8% lower than costs at Olin College of Engineering ($18,026 vs. $18,524)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Olin College of Engineering than Swarthmore College (100% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Swarthmore College students is 17.7% larger than aid received Olin College of Engineering ($47,703 vs. $40,522)

Swarthmore vs. Olin College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Swarthmore or Olin College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Olin College or Swarthmore .

  • The average SAT score at Olin College of Engineering (1506) is 75 points higher than at Swarthmore (1431)
  • Incoming Olin College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Swarthmore (32)
  • Accepted freshman Swarthmore students have at the same average high school GPA (3.9) as students at Olin College (3.9)
  • Olin College has a higher acceptance rate (19.1%) than Swarthmore (6.9%)

Swarthmore vs. Olin College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Swarthmore or Olin College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Olin College and Swarthmore.

  • The graduation rate at Olin College is higher than Swarthmore College (96% vs. 95%)
  • Olin College of Engineering students graduate with a $4,790 lower median federal student loan debt than Swarthmore graduates. ($14,710 vs. $19,500)
  • Olin College graduates are paying $49 less per month on federal student loans than Swarthmore graduates. ($152 vs. $201)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/